Infusion bottle with permanently attached drip chamber



Sept. 1, 1970 R. HEINZ 3,526,340

INFUSION BOTTLE WITH PERMANENTLY ATTACHED DRIP CHAMBER Filed May 22, 1968 v 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 I INVENTOR Rosem- Hsmz ATTORNEYS Sept. 1, 1970 R. HEINZ 3,526,340

v INFUSION BOTTLE WITH PERMANENTLY ATTACHED DRIP CHAMBER Filed May 22-, 1968 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR ROBSA'T H ATTQKNEYi Sept. 1, 1970 R. HEINZ 3,526,340

INFUSION BOTTLE WITH PERMANENTLY ATTACHED DRIP CHAMBER Fi led May 22, 1968 -4 Sheets-Sheet 5 A FIG. 3

FIG. 4

INVE N TOR ogsn'r H N BY R W M'FM ATTORNEYS INFUSION BOTTLE WITH PERMANENTLY ATTACHED DRIP CHAMBER Filed May 22, 1968 R. HEINZ Sept. 1, 1970 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 FIG; 6

FIG. 5

INVENTOR R OBERT HE! N 2 BY W,

United States Patent 3,526,340 INFUSION BOTTLE WITH PERMANENTLY ATTACHED DRIP CHAMBER Robert Heinz, Dreieichenhain, Germany, assignor to Biotest-Serum-Institut GmbH., Frankfurt am Main, Germany, a corporation of Germany Filed May 22, 1968, Ser. No. 731,223 Claims priority, application Germany, May 30, 1967, B 92,768 Int. Cl. B67b 7/24 US. Cl. 222-80 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE Infusion bottle having an integral drip chamber, which drip chamber has elastically deformable walls and is capable of being temporarily collapsed; a neck portion between the drip chamber and the remainder of the bottle; a puncturable sealing diaphragm; and means adapted to puncture said diaphragm which means is insertible in said neck wherein such acts as a dripper.

The invention relates to a unit consisting of an infusion bottle with a permanently attached drip chamber.

The bottles used hitherto for infusion solutions are constructed in such a manner that, for use as an infusion apparatus, they consist of a drip chamber, a connecting tube and an injection device which can be connected to them. If bottles made of glass or stifi plastic are used, air venting must also be provided.

A container unit for infusion solutions is already known which consists of a thin-walled, flexible, bottleshaped container of synthetic material which terminates in a drip chamber that serves as a stopper for the container and is equipped with a dropper and sealed by a membrane, and is covered by a protective cap which is connected with the container through a seal. In the space between the cap and the upper portion of the container unit, which is constructed as a drip chamber, there is contained a modified infusion apparatus.

It is therefore an object of this invention to provide a new and improved infusion bottle.

Other and additional objects of this invention will become apparent from a consideration of this entire specification including the drawings and claims hereof.

In accord with and fulfilling these objects, one aspect of this invention resides in an infusion bottle having a bottle portion and an integral drip chamber with a neck therebetween. The drip chamber has elastically deformable walls and has a puncturable diaphragm across the mouth thereof opposite to the neck. A puncture means is provided adapted to puncture the diaphragm and also fit into the neck and act as a dripper. Further, there is preferably provided a member adapted to couple the mouth of the drip chamber to a tube extending therefrom.

Another aspect of this invention resides in a novel twopiece puncturing needle having telescoping members of which the forward portion is substantially cylindrical and has a needle-like, piercing leading edge. The rearward portion telescopes at its forward end over the rearward end of the forward member and is adapted to releasably engage such forward member. Further, the rearward member is adapted to fit into the mouth of the dripper and has a flange means extending therefrom adapted to support pressure exerted thereon sufficient to invert said drip chamber and insert said forward member into said neck.

It is preferred that the infusion bottle of this invention have a bottle portion terminating in a conical portion directed toward the neck and a drip chamber portion having conical portions directed toward both the neck and the mouth. It is preferred to provide a multiplicity of rib portions extending about the neck between both conical portions.

One preferred embodiment of the combination according to the invention is explained below with the aid of the annexed drawings 1 to 7.

FIG. 1 of the drawing shows an exploded view of the combination according to the invention before it is made ready for use.

FIG. 2 shows a ready-for-use combination after the piercing needle has been pushed in.

FIGS. 3 and 4 show the introduction of the piercing needle.

FIG. 5 shows a preferred embodiment of the invention in which the drip chamber 2 is set on a kind of bottle neck.

FIGS. 6 and 7 show the cross section of a preferred piercing needle 5 having a correspondingly constructed oval piercing cross section.

Referring now to the drawings, the infusion container with the permanently attached drip chamber consists of a thin-walled container 1 made of preferably flexible plastic, especially polypropylene, and it is advantageously in the shape of a bottle. As the material for the container un it according to the invention, plastics are generally used which are transparent or translucent in the necessary wall thickness and can be sterilized, preferably by steam. Container 1 terminates in part 2, which serves as a drip chamber and serves instead of the formerly customary stoppers to seal the container. This container portion 2 is sealed by a membrane 3. Container portion 2 and membrane 3 are manufactured together with container 1 in a single process and form the same material.

Preferably, an adhered aluminum tear-off strip 4, which is welded onto the closing membrane, serves as the closure. I Depending on the nature of the container material, ribs 7, four ribs, for example, can be disposed on or around the lower portion of the drip chamber 2, for the purpose of supporting chamber 2 and protecting it against damage.

This container 1 is filled with liquid only to such an extent that the space in drip chamber 2 is empty, i.e., contains only air or other gas, and to prepare it for use, a two-piece piercing needle, composed of parts 5 and 6, is introduced into it, tip 6 serving for the piercing and, in the final position (FIG. 2), serving as the dripper. In this procedure, after the removal of seal 4, tip 6 is pushed through membrane 3 by the squeezing of drip chamber 2, until the sharp portion 6 is pressed into the narrow portion between container portions 1 and 2 (cf. FIG. 3). By drawing back the member 5, the original shape of drip chamber 2 can be restored and the unit is then ready for the infusion. The connection to the patient is established by a regular flexible tube with conventional regulating devices and needle (not shown).

In comparison to the known infusion apparatus, the combination according to the invention has the advantage that container and drip chamber as well as the stopper unit can be manufactured in a single operating procedure. Another advantage consists in the fact that it is not necessary to keep the drip chamber separately sterile and store it separately.

What is claimed is:

1. An infusion bottle comprising a bottle portion terminating at one end in a neck passageway; a drip tube in said indicated passageway which has a sharp pointed end directed toward said bottle portion; a drip chamber integral with said bottle portion extending from said passageway and communicating with said bottle portion through said drip tube in said indicated passageway and terminating in a mouth disposed opposite to said indicated portion; a couple tube in said mouth having a transverse flange therearound outside the tube portion thereof inserted in said mouth; and the remanents of a frangible diaphragm about said mouth wherein said drip tube and said couple tube are adapted for telescopically engaging with each other with the point of said drip tube adapted to rupture a frangible diaphragm sealing said mouth, elastically deforming the walls of the drip chamber between said mouth and said indicated passageway whereby permitting the insertion of said drip tube into said indicated and said couple tube in said mouth.

2. A bottle as claimed in claim 1 wherein said drip chamber comprises a pair of facing conical sections with the narrow portions thereof constituting said mouth and a portion of said neck.

3. A bottle as claimed in claim 2 including a multiplicity of substantially solid fins surrounding said neck between said drip chamber portion and said bottle portion.

4-. A bottle as claimed in claim 1 wherein said neck is substantially cylindrical.

5. A bottle as claimed in claim 1 wherein said neck is substantially elliptical.

References Cited SAMUEL F. COLEMAN, Primary Examiner N. L. STACK, JR., Assistant Examiner US. Cl. X.R. 222-207 

